Leadership is about more than just guiding teams and achieving results. It’s shaped by personal experiences, values, and causes that inspire people to make a difference in their own lives and their communities.
For Bill Vehovic, director of Respiratory Services at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital, one of those driving forces is his role as a father and his dedication to supporting women and families affected by postpartum depression.
The UPMC Careers team sat down with Bill to learn more about the person behind the leadership role and the experiences that continue to shape his personal and professional journey at UPMC.
"I truly think that one of the most impactful parts of my clinical career has been being a part of the team, having a voice at the table, and being able to drive care as a part of a multidisciplinary team to make an impact. That is what filled my cup."
Where did your career in health care begin, and how has your career evolved since?
I started my career in 2002, when I was hired as a respiratory therapist at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. I worked at UPMC Children’s for eight years, mainly in intensive care units such as the pediatric ICU, the cardiac ICU, and the neonatal ICU. Upon completion of my master’s degree, I then decided to pivot to leadership.
I was hired as the supervisor of respiratory care at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital in February 2010. My progression on the career ladder was rapid, as my director at the time went out on medical leave and throughout the next four to five months, I went from supervisor to interim manager to director.
I’ve been at UPMC Magee for the last 15 years as the director of respiratory care.
Why did you choose respiratory as your first role in health care? What makes it a great career field that people should choose?
An impactful event in my younger years was when my grandmother became terminally ill, and I had the opportunity to be with her through the end of her life. At that point, my career was either going to be nursing or respiratory therapy, but there was something about the end-of-life experience that drove me toward respiratory.
Respiratory therapy offers a meaningful opportunity to impact the patient’s experience. We care for patients and families across every stage of life, from extremely premature infants in the neonatal ICU to those nearing the end of life.
One of the key things that I really enjoy about working at UPMC is that we promote a multidisciplinary team. I love interacting with bedside nurses and our physician leaders across the organization to develop plans of care.
I truly think that one of the most impactful parts of my clinical career has been being a part of the team, having a voice at the table, and being able to drive care as a part of a multidisciplinary team to make an impact. That is what filled my cup.
Could you share a little bit about your leadership philosophy and some of the things that are important to you? How do you lead your team and approach being a leader?
I really try to lead by example through purposeful rounding, listening to my staff, and closing the loop. I think that’s extremely key to being a great leader.
An important part of my leadership style is understanding each employee’s professional goals and how I can support their growth. At the end of each rounding conversation, I make it a point to ask what the employee is doing to develop professionally and where they would like to grow. I believe these conversations demonstrate a genuine commitment to our employees, encourage continuous growth, and help connect individual aspirations with meaningful development opportunities.
I’m an empathetic leader, and I try to empathize when I see an employee struggling or going through a life event. I’m willing to listen and help in any way that I can. There’s nothing more impactful than an employee following back up with you and saying “you’re a great boss and an amazing leader.”
It’s through those meaningful interactions that you get commitment to the organization, retention, and a great experience, all of which relate back to quality care.
Have there been any leaders who were influential to you on your personal journey?
I’ve reported to some amazing leaders throughout my time with UPMC, including Maribeth McLaughlin, UPMC’s chief nurse executive.
She was the first person I called when my wife was struggling after having our son. I called her, along with a clinical social worker, and they helped guide me in what I needed to do. She’s an amazing leader. She coached me, but most importantly, she would ask about my family, my wife, and my kids.
My time reporting to Maribeth and now to Chris Vitsas, vice president of Operations at UPMC Magee, has formed the kind of leader that I am. He has been an amazing coach and has assisted me with my development throughout my career.
From an empathetic perspective and as a goal-driven leader, I’ve had some amazing role models.
"One thing I can say about being a respiratory therapist at UPMC is that you have a voice. You are heard at the highest levels of the organization, starting with your own manager and all the way up to leadership."
Can you share about the investments UPMC is making in respiratory therapy? What does that investment mean to you?
We’ve made a significant investment in the field of respiratory care within the organization, truly driven by the respiratory therapists’ voices.
One thing I can say about being a respiratory therapist at UPMC is that you have a voice. You are heard at the highest levels of the organization, starting with your own manager and all the way up to leadership.
When you look across the nation, you see that the footprint of respiratory therapy is shrinking, but at UPMC, we are looking to grow the footprint of respiratory. It’s not just a randomly selected area to invest in. It’s purposeful, and it’s because of the feedback that people have given and to better support them.
UPMC has made significant investments in the professional growth and support of respiratory therapists. These investments include enhancements to the respiratory therapy clinical ladder, including the addition of an expert level that provides experienced therapists with an additional pathway for professional growth and promotional opportunity. UPMC has also recently made a workforce investment in respiratory therapy, increasing starting salaries as well as compensation for therapists across the system.
Even though UPMC is large, UPMC listens to its employees, and your voice matters. This investment in respiratory therapists is an example of how UPMC cares for its employees. We are all a part of UPMC, and I am proud to be going on 25 years working for an organization that listens, pivots when necessary, and continues to be innovative.
Can you share about how the Pars for Postpartum event came to be supported by UPMC? Can you tell us more about that part of your journey and you and your wife’s story?
Everything started when my son, Elliot Charles Vehovic, was born in 2014. Six to seven weeks after his birth, my wife started to show signs and symptoms of postpartum depression. I, as a new father, had no idea what to do. So, I called some very good friends and amazing leaders at UPMC Magee and asked for help.
My wife was subsequently admitted as a patient for several days and then discharged into an intensive outpatient program collaboration between UPMC Magee and UPMC Western Behavioral Health.
Upon her healing, my wife and I talked it over, and we felt there was an opportunity to make some improvements to the program. I took the opportunity to reach out to our local executive team, asking permission to start a golf outing to improve the program.
Every year, we have a golf outing called the Pars for Postpartum Depression Golf Outing. We started grassroots efforts with a lot of my colleagues as members of the planning committee and volunteers at the event in 2018. From there, it has grown into a foundational event held every year at Edgewood Country Club in the summer, and all the money raised goes to the postpartum program.
This year, we raised approximately $55,000 and since its inception, we’ve raised almost $500,000 that has gone to improve the postpartum depression and anxiety program.
From the perspective of my family, our experience following the birth of our son was so challenging that, at the time, we had made the decision not to have a second child. Without UPMC’s commitment to the Pars for Postpartum golf outing, the program, and the investments that we’ve made, I wouldn’t have my beautiful daughter, Avelin, today.
I could not be more grateful to my colleagues, the Pars community, and to UPMC, because at my core, my purpose is my family.
Learn more about the annual Pars for Postpartum Golf Outing.
5 Fun Facts about Bill
- Bill’s favorite genre of music is classic rock; his favorite band is Metallica!
- One of Bill’s favorite restaurants is La Tavola on Mount Washington.
- In his early adulthood, Bill considered being a state park ranger before pivoting into health care.
- One thing you can find Bill doing to relax is playing a game of Fortnite.
- Bill serves on the Board of Directors for the Pennsylvania Society for Respiratory Care.
